The Theology of Geology

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The Theology of Geology
Amazing Grace Written in Stone
What well cover this morning
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What well cover this morning
Five amazing geological discoveries in
the last 50 years
How God used five geological events to
shape human history
How God used geology when He called a chosen
people
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First, several simple definitions
Theology knowledge of God
Geology knowledge of the earths rocky crust
(aka skin)
The Earths rocky crust Two types
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Two types of Crust 1. Continental crust 2.
Oceanic crust
We will focus on the recent history of
continental crust i.e. the continents
But first, a couple of additional
definitions
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Data Repeatable observations What appears
to be true
Now, five amazing discoveries of the earths
geology made in the last 50 years
Interpretations Explanations of data
What may change
A Guiding Principle in this discussion That I
may know Him, and the power of His resurrection,
and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made
conformable unto His death
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Five Amazing Scientific Discoveries made in the
last 50 years defining the Earths Rocky Crust
(continents)
But first Some basic assumptions
1. Continental (crustal plate) Drift
2. Plate Tectonics
3. Paleo-magnetics
4. Absolute Age Dating
5. The Earths Living Crust
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Scientific Data Describing Gods
Creation
Data are reliable Job 12 8, 9
Biblical interpretations
Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach
thee And the fishes of the sea shall declare
unto thee.
Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of
the Lord hath wrought this?
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Interpretations of the Bible
1. Literally true
2. Inerrant
3. Contains Gods word
4. Amazing ancient literature
Five recent discoveries of
Gods Intelligent Design of the Earths rocky
Crust
God builds arranges todays Continents
Discovery 1 Continental Drift
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Continental Drift
The slow movement of the crustal plates
over the face of the earth
How has continental drift shaped human history?
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Five recent discoveries of
Gods Intelligent Design of the Earths rocky
Crust
Continental Drift Last 250 million years
Present Day
How has continental drift shaped
human history?
http//schools.techno.ru/sch518/koridor/geograf /d
etrab/Tektonika/litosfera2.htm
250 million years ago
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Continental Drift Creates the Western and
Eastern Hemispheres
Eastern Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
And
Critical to the migration of humans out of Africa
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Continental Drift Shaped the Continents
And
Why is elongation important?
Shaped the continents
It determines the number of climate zones that
the continent covers
Three elongated north-south
One elongated east-west
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How has God shaped human history by
positioning the continents?
Why is that important?
Tropical climate zones
Discovery 2 Plate Tectonics God
builds mountain ranges, major rivers, and
natural resources that shape human history
Because no great nation or religion has ever
developed in the Tropics!!!
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Five recent discoveries of
Gods Intelligent Design of the Earths rocky
Crust
The deforming continents when they collide
1. Continental Drift
2. Plate Tectonics
God creates mountains that shape
human history
Collisions produce mountain ranges major river
systems
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A 6000 mile mountain range created when Africa
India collide with Eurasia
God used Plate Tectonics to create six major
river systems south of the mountains where our
earliest civilizations and religions developed
Mountains create expose at or near the earths
surface natural resources metallic ores, coal,
and oil that have shaped human history
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The Six Major River Systems where the earliest
civilizations and religions formed
Confucianism
Judaism
Hinduism
Yellow
Yangtze
Tigris Euphrates
Ganges
Nile
Indus
Ideal trend for the early development of major
civilizations and religions based on large
scale farming
Discovery 3 Paleo-magnetics God
stamps the lat-long location of rocks when
they are formed
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Five recent discoveries of
Gods Intelligent Design of the Earths rocky
Crust
1. Continental Drift
Paleo-magnetics defines the lat-long of
a rock when it is formed
2. Plate Tectonics
3. Paleo-magnetics
All our continental drift reconstruction maps
are based on Paleo-magnetics
What is the fourth discovery?
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Five recent discoveries of
Gods Intelligent Design of the Earths rocky
Crust
Again, all our continental drift maps are
heavily dependent on Absolute Ages
4. Absolute Age Dating
God stamps the age of rocks when they are formed
by the decay of radio active minerals
The fifth discovery in the last 50 years
The Earths Living Crust
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Five recent discoveries of
Gods Intelligent Design of the Earths rocky
Crust
Our Living Earth Renewing the Continents
Living Earth It is designed by the Creator
to propagate itself
Continent being Destroyed by Weathering Erosion
Continental Debris being Welded back Into the
Continent by Mountain building
Continental Debris Trapped along the Continental
Margins
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What would happen if the continents were not
renewed periodically by mountain
building?
The continents would be eroded down to slightly
below sea level!
A Worldwide Ocean!
No land no plants, no animals,
no us
Worlds Earliest Civilizations
pre-Iron Age
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Worlds Earliest Civilizations
pre-Iron Age
Egypt Nile River
Xia Dynasty Yellow River
Sumeria Tigris Euphrates
The history of the Iron Ages
Ganges
Yangzi River
Mature Indus River
From Hammond Atlas, 1972
All are in major river flood plains!
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The Creators Intelligent Design for the World
Northern Temperate Climate Zone Historically
ideal for major civilizations
How have we humans responded to this Benevolent
Design?
Tropical Climate Zones
Historically unfavorable for major civilizations
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How have we humans responded to this
Benevolent Design?
Where are these resources located?
We have fought each other for the iron, coal,
and oil resources
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The locations of major natural
resources that shaped
human history
We have fought over these resources for
thousands of years
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Next lets look at the fate of Egypt
Sumeria invaded first by the Hittites then by
the Egyptians, then the Medes and Persians,
then by Indians, and finally by the Greeks and
Romans
Conclusion Mesopotamian empires never
recovered after the Indian invasion
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Greece, Rome, Muslim
1000
1000
1
Then Egypt occupied by Greece, Rome, and
finally became a world renown center for culture
and science at Alexandria as part of the Muslin
empire
Now lets look at how God called a people
Egyptians, Hittites, Medes, and Persians fight
over the iron deposits of their lands
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Judaism The Third Early Religion
God calls Abram out of the river flood plain
and into the Hills!
1900 BC
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World Empires last 7000 years
Archeological Ages
Bronze Age World
Stone Age
Copper Age
2000
5000
3000
1000
4000
1
3000
3500
2500
4500
1500
Iron Age
Iron, coal, oil Age
Iron coal Age
Hunters Gatherers
Families, clans, tribes
Farming
Flood plain empires
Hill country empires
Sticks and stones
Iron steel tools weapons
Bronze tools weapons
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Ancient Times 5000 BC to 1000 BC
Abram called
3000
5000
4000
2000
1000
Sumeria Tigris/Euphrates
Mature Indus
Xia Yellow River
Egypt Nile
Iron age
Where is Palestine?
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Judaism The Third Early Religion
Palestine No major flood plain Hills but no
metal resources!!
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Judaism The Third Early Religion
Out of the Hills into the Nile flood plain From
a clan of 90 persons to a nation
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Ancient Times 5000 BC to 1000 BC
Abram called
3000
5000
4000
2000
1000
Sumeria Tigris/Euphrates
Mature Indus
Xia Yellow River
Egypt Nile
Iron age
Moses called
Out of the flood plain, back to the hills
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Out of the Nile Flood Plain a Nation of Several
Million
Midian
Into the Sinai for 40 Years, why? Time to arm
with Midianite weapons?
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Back in the Hill Country a
Conquering Nation of Several Million
Midian
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Kingdoms of Israel cannot Compete
Location of Iron ores for weapons
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Remember from previous sessions
The Great Nations and Empires ran on
their access to Iron and Coal
Then, it was the Internal Combustion
Engine
Only the USA and Russia have large DOMESTIC Oil
reserves
Iron Coal provided tools Weapons
Now Great Nations run on Oil
Transportation by Foot or Horse
Everything changes with the invention
of the Steam Engine
Then Coal was truly KING!
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Natural Resources 1700 AD to 2200 AD
Iron and Coal
Oil
What?
Foot Horse
Steam
Internal Combustion Engine
Electric Motor
Who will run out of oil first?
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The 21st Century Todays Cheap Oil
New, Expensive Oil Gas
Alaska
Lack Oil
USA
Lack Oil
Lack Oil
Libya
Middle East
Venezuela
The future of Iron resources is similar to oil
of the major nations only Russia has a
plentiful future reserve
Indonesia
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In the next 15 years
How does all this impact the rise and fall of
nations?
Gasoline 3.00 X 3 to 5
Lets look at the national distribution
of iron, coal, and oil
9.00 to 15.00/gallon
Nations having their own oil, iron, and coal
have a huge advantage over those who must
buy oil, iron, and coal
Oil 90.00 to 150.00/bbl
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Major Iron Ore Producing Countries
Note England, Germany France Iron Ore largely
depleted
Putins Russia Substantial Reserves
USA Iron Ore Reserves approaching depletion
China Iron Ore Reserves greatly depleted
Lets look at the worlds leading Nations their
Iron, Coal, Oil in the next 100 years
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China No significant oil Running out of
iron Running out of coal
What is China doing now? Buying oil gas from
Russia Contracting for iron from
Australia Replacing coal with electricity from
their programs of building dams
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Weighed in the Balance Found Wanting
What can we do?
USA
China
Western Europe
Putins Russia
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Go Electric!
Develop our vast lignite coal deposits
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And, or go Nuclear
Our untapped lignite coal deposits
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This Belongs to You
The Fat Ladys Song
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Set Your Watch on Mountain Time
Its your choice!